Globe snow arrestor



March 19, 1968 H. F. STRANGE 3,373,532

GLOBE SNQW ARRESTOR Filed Jan. 23, 1967 ,1 ,INVENTOR HINMAN F. STRANGEBY s lnzw' WW ATTORNEYS United States Patent P 3,373,532 GLOBE SNOWARRESTOR Hinman F. Strange, Spotswood Trail, Gordonsville, Va. 22942Filed Jan. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 610,957 5 Claims. (Cl. 52-24) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISGLOSURE This may be defined as a snow arrestor for roofingconstructions which is adapted to provide maximum contact of thearrestor per se to snow gathered on roofs. The size of the unit,compared to existing units is substantially the same, the plural snowretaining wires are multiple and present a barricade in depth to thesnow, yielding thereby a better means of securing and arresting the snowagainst falling from the eaves damaging planting and destroying gutters.The arresting of snow in depth permits accumulated snow to melt moregradually than heretofore.

Modifications of invention are adapted to three basic types of roofing,namely slate and/ or slate composition; tile and corrugated roofingconstruction.

More simply stated, an open wire globe is secured to a fiat or curvedmetal bracket, which said bracket is adapted to fit under conventionalshingles or tiles or over corrugated roofing. This globe which has theappearance of a bird cage is thus presented perpendicularly to the slopeof the roof, approximately several inches above the shingles so as tohold melting snow in depth, in place.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention The field of theinvention is generally considered to reside in the collection andarresting of sheets of snow accumulated on roof constructions and thelike.

(2) Description of the prior art The best known prior art comprises U.S.patents as follows:

Rogers 97,316 Frank 860,457 SchWeda 2,349,201 French 1,215,468

The French and Rogers references are complex expensive arrestors notdeemed anticipatory of invention by any extension thereof. The Schwedapatent involves SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention thereforecomprises means for securing an oblong globe fabricated of strands ofwire to a base member, wherein these units may be set appropriately on aroof and at a preselected distance from the eaves for the purpose ofarresting snow in depth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows the basic concept ofinvention in perspective wherein the snow-arresting globe and its baseare secured to sheathing or slate or composition slate;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of modification of in- 3,3 73 ,532Patented Mar. 19, 1968 vention in which the snow-arresting globe andbase plate are secured to a tile roofing;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of invention in which the snow-arrestingglobe is secured to a base plate designed for exterior contact with acorrugated roofing construction.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, the globe snow arrestorsystem comprises a base plate 110, which includes a generally fiat,preferably n'gid shank 112, terminating in a curvilinear end 114, saidshank being bent upon itself to form an extension 120, extendinggenerally vertically from the blank 110, and defining plural apertures122, in the present instance arranged in vertical alignment. Again, withrespect to the blank 119, it may be provided with suitable aperture 116,adapted to receive in the event it is secured to roofing sheathingdirectly, the roofing nails indicated. Otherwise, in practice it isentirely satisfactory for the base plate shank 110, or for its extension112 to be secured to and between conventional slate or slate compositionroofing by any suitable adhesives such as those of rubber derivative, byway of example.

The globe snow arrestor 130 is preferably formed from a single strand ofwire, initially coiled and sequentially spread to form a generallyspherical globe, but which has impartially squashed into the oblongconfiguration shown. The strands are uniformly spaced between therespective strand-gathering tops 132 and bottoms 134, so as to form anuniform oblong globe of the type shown, and in which the strands, alonga circumferential line are each equi-distantly spaced from the other.These strands, each having been formed from a single piece of wire, maybe secured at the top 132 by weldment, clamping, tieing or any othersuitable means, but in the process of manufacture thereof, the portionsforming the base of the snow arrestor 130 must be threaded through therespective apertures 122 in such a fashion that the arrestor is securedagainst displacement upon the application of accumulated snow fromabove. As indicated, the arrestor is adapted to retard the flow of snowuntil and upon partially melting it will, by reason of the weight behindand from an upper level, gradually force its melted portions through;but by reason of the configuration a maximum of in-depth contact of thearrestor to the snow is obtained.

The FIG. 2 modification will be apparent from a study of the drawings,wherein it is indicated that the base member 210, corresponding to thebase member of FIG. 1 modification, is adapted to rest substantiallycontiguously to the underside of a ceramic tile or the like, the samebeing applied in securing relation thereto by suitable adhesive,generally indicated in the fragmentary cut-away portion of the tile. Thebase plate 210 is of curvilinear configuration as indicated at 214 andextends generally upwardly of the roof-line, although its utility anddisposition would be dictated entirely by the roof configuration, perse. The base plate 210 also comprises an upright extension 220 which isbent at a substantially right angle from the blank 210, defining at itsupper extension at least two apertures 222. These are suitable forretaining the lower portion of globe 230 in semi-fixed relation to theanchor plate 210. The globe 230 is secured at its top 232 by the meansindicated, aforesaid. That is to say, either by weldment, by capping, bycrimping, by tieing or the like, the respective bottom portions 234engaging corresponding horizontally disposed apertures 222 as indicated,yielding to the globe a stability against displacement upon theretention and/ or arresting of snow within and passage of partiallymelted-snow from the rear to the foremost portion thereof.

Regarding the FIG. 3 modification, indicated generally the referencenumeral 300, the base plate 310 comprises a blank having an extension320 cut from the total blank, and a flat portion 312 folded upon theblank, forming thereby an inverted V as indicated. This portion of thebase plate or blank 310 is apertured, as is its corresponding portion ofthe inverted V, permitting passage there through of plural securingmeans (bolts here shown) appearing on both sides and in alignment of thecorresponding portions of the base plate. The extension 320 defines, inthis instance, three horizontally aligned apertures 322 each beingadapted to receive in spaced relation, strand bunches of the globe 330at its lower portion 334, as indicated. At this juncture, it should benoted that either of the means 322 with respect to FIG. 3, or 222 withrespect to FIG. 2, or 122 with respect to FIG. 1, may be usedalternately on the respective modifications, depending upon theconfiguration of the globe desired. That is to say, if it is desiredthat the base portion of the globe be more spread and portions thereofbe horizontally aligned, the means shown in FIG. 3 could be adapted,namely 3 apertures or more in horizontal alignment. By the same token, aless spread globe base of the type 230 can be retained as indicated inFIG. 2, and a globe of substantially more vertically spreadcharacteristics may be secured by the vertically aligned apertures 122as shown in FIG. 1.

From the aforementioned, it will be apparent that these and othermodifications may appear to those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of the appended claims. The disposition of pluralarrestors on any given roof-line is a matter of choice, experiencehaving indicated that a staggered-in-line system is the best.

What is claimed is:

1. A roof adapted snow arrestor comprising:

(A) rigid roof-engaging base plate blank, said base plate having anupward extension with a free end;

(B) a globular arrestor member anchored at its bottom to the free end ofsaid extension, said arrestor comprising at least one strand ofresilient material formed to define an oblate spheroid sieve;

(C) means securing the base plate to the roof.

2. A roof adapted snow arrestor comprising:

(A) a rigid roof-engaging base plaLe blank, said base plate blank havingan upward extension with a free end;

(B) a globular arrestor member anchored to the free end of saidextension, said arrestor comprising at least one strand of resilientmaterial, formed to define a sieve, said strand being turned upon itselfto form coils, said coils being joined at top and bottom thereof andintermediately spaced apart, said coils being adapted to compressiveanchor engagement with the extension;

(C) means securing the base plate to the roof.

3. The arrestor of claim 2 in which the arrestor member defines anoblate spheroid.

4. The invention of claim 2 in which the arrestor coils defining thearrestor are continuous and each of said strands being passed through atleast one base plate aperture which is defined adjacent the upperextremity of said extension.

5. The device of claim 4 in which plural strand engaging apertures arehorizontally aligned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,201 5/ 1944 Schweda 52242,640,593 6/1953 Korb 5212 FOREIGN PATENTS 109,877 6/1928 Austria.306,932 7/ 1955 Switzerland.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application, R 11,829, October 1955.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES W. ISAACS, Assistant Examiner.

